This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for packaging ice or other commodities and for storing articles to be kept cool. More specifically, this invention relates to an expandable package which can be used both to market granulated ice or other commodities as well as to be used as a portable ice chest.
In order to accommodate the various outdoor activities enjoyed by people today, it has long been known to utilize various portable ice receptacles to keep food and drinks cool while away from sources of power and refrigeration. These so-called ice chests have taken on various forms. The earliest form of ice chest was a double walled metal container with the space between the walls filled with some type of insulation. Such ice chests, or ice boxes as they were known, were prevalent throughout the early part of the century and were used to a fair extent. Unfortunately, these presented problems of both weight and bulkiness in use and led to later developments.
Subsequently, the advent of the plastics age brought with it the development of the insulated plastic ice chest. While the weight required to provide refrigerated goods and ice with a significant degree of insulation was significantly reduced, these plastic ice chests remained bulky and relatively difficult to store and produce for use when needed.
Users of portable ice receptacles have always been faced with the problem of transporting bulky ice chests when embarking on long outings, only to be again faced with the problem of retrieving the receptacle for storage after use. In order to overcome these difficulties, several solutions have been proposed. Relatively light ice chests made out of styrofoam or similar materials have found fair acceptance among the consuming public. Unfortunately, such containers while reducing the weight of such devices considerably have retained the disadvantages of being bulky and difficult to store and produce for use when needed. These devices have the added disadvantage of being very brittle and susceptible to breakage and leakage when in use.
In order to more fully address these problems, some have proposed solutions incorporating lightweight designs. One of the earliest was a five-walled jacket type container, the walls of which were independent flaps and would simply fold up around objects to be kept cool. This design was not waterproof and met with limited acceptance. A more modern concept has employed a composite layer design consisting of plastic and nylon layers in a soft sided, box-type construction. Still others have proposed a design employing an inflatable plastic envelope into which articles to be kept cool are inserted.
Perhaps the most basic cooler has employed a simple insulated bag into which both ice and objects to be kept cold are inserted. While such a device is convenient, it lacks any structural integrity and is prone to leakage and rupture.
Like those who proposed solutions in the portable ice chest art, those seeking to provide designs for the packaging and marketing of ice have similarly failed to appreciate the advantages set forth in the present invention. The most widely used package for marketing ice is a clear plastic bag. Such packaging is satisfactory provided the ice sold is transported only a short distance from factory to retail outlet and is displayed for sale in a relatively protected environment. Consumers are quite familiar with the hazards of handling such bags of ice without a great amount of care. The thin plastic used in such bags tears easily even under normal handling. Spillage, leakage, and general contamination of the ice occurs upon rupture of the plastic package.
Ice as it is presently sold must be displayed for sale in refrigerated containers in which the ice to be sold cannot be stacked more than a few feet deep. The fragile nature of the bags in which the ice is marketed requires retailers to insure that the ice is not stacked beyond this relatively low level. In addition, the irregular shape of the cylindrical bags of ice make stacking and shipping a difficult and unstable task.
The above noted designs fail to accommodate several of the principle difficulties encountered with the use of portable ice chests and traditional ice packages. The difficulties enumerated in the proceeding are not intended to be exhaustive but rather illustrative among many which may tend to reduce the effectiveness and ease of use of such portable cooling devices and ice packaging methods. Other noteworthy problems may also exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that the portable ice chest designs appearing will admit to worthwhile improvement.